King Charles honours fallen US troops on last day of royal visit

King Charles greets serving military personnel from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on April 30, 2026. Photo / AFP

King Charles has paid respects to fallen US troops at a military cemetery on the final day of a state visit aimed at healing ties between Britain and the United States, strained by the war in Iran.

Charles and Camilla visited Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington on Thursday, where they laid a wreath and flowers at the hilltop Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier honouring America’s unidentified war dead.

The pair stood solemnly as a bugler played Taps, before visiting the adjacent display room of military exhibits and artefacts.

Next on the agenda was a “block party” to mark 250 years since American independence from Britain, and meetings with Native Americans at a national park, before departing for the British island territory of Bermuda in the Atlantic.

There was also an official farewell at the White House, where US President Donald Trump hailed Charles as the “greatest King”.

The formal goodbye capped a four-day diplomatic marathon by Charles and Camilla, which is already being cited as going a long way in healing a rift between the two nations.

Highlights of the trip included Charles’ speech on Tuesday to the US Congress, the first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth in 1991.

The address was warmly received, even as Charles ranged over subjects such as climate change, the need for restraints on presidential power and the importance of Nato - sensitive issues for Trump’s ruling Republicans.

The royals visited New York on Wednesday, where they stopped at the 9/11 memorial and met leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Charles, who is passionate about gardening and the environment, later visited an urban sustainable farming project in Harlem, while Camilla celebrated the 100th birthday of Winnie the Pooh at the New York Public Library.

Security has been tight for the royal visit, which came just days after an alleged assassination attempt against Trump at a Washington media gala.

- AFP